"Oh good, well while I'm having jelly and things put on me, I shall take comfort in the fact that you are having an exciting graduation ball," I wrote in reply.
A little while later, it occurred to me that that message might sound like it was bitter and sarcastic, so I quickly sent another message explaining that I was being earnest. In the past I have, sadly, had people think I was being sarcastic when I wasn't, so the elaboration seemed necessary.
"Though it may initially appear sarcastic, I know you well enough to know you're not like that," she wrote in reply. Aw, how nice. I generally tend to avoid using sarcasm altogether, and so I was very pleased that she had recognised that. It had been a little while since anybody had thought I was being sarcastic when I wasn't anyway, so perhaps, I thought, it was just a thing of the past.
A few days later, I was at a big social event at Bath Spa University. It was a sort of 'goodbye celebration' for all the third year students who would be leaving soon. I'd like to say that it was a very pleasant evening, an unlimited free supply of tortilla chips (with dip) for the guests was a wonderful idea. The unlimited free wine may have been a bit short sighted.
Anyway, at one point during the event, I was in a group conversation with several people I didn't really know very well and one of them was talking about his fondness for a particular manga series.
"The annoying thing was," he said, "that just after I bought the whole set, they were reprinted in colour!"
"Oh dear, what a terrible shame that must have been for you," I said.
I noticed that somebody had started laughing, almost hysterically. But I wasn't quite sure why, perhaps they'd heard something that I missed?
A short while later somebody said something funny and it was proclaimed by another person to be 'the funniest thing of the night'.
"No, I think it was when Adam said 'what a terrible shame it must have been for you' about that manga!" she started laughing again.
"Oh, well I wasn't trying to be funny," I said, a little meekly. "That was earnest."
"Nah, it wasn't," she insisted. "Very deadpan, great sarcasm!"
I certainly hope that the person who had the manga-based misfortune didn’t believe that! But I suppose I have to remember that not everyone is like Mairi, so maybe I should mentally listen to what I say before I speaking out loud. Either that, or just tell people I’m not being sarcastic.